Saving Money Saturday

The holiday season is almost here so there is no time like the present to start saving money for those Christmas presents, turkey dinners and holiday parties. Make this Saturday a thrifty day and instead of spending money at Starbucks, the movies or the local bookstore, try to save it instead. Want some ideas? Here are a few, including getting a head start on Christmas!

Start your Save Money Saturday with this healthy energetic and filling Banana-Almond Power Smoothie!

Cut 2 bananas into quarter size pieces
In a blender combine 3/4 vanilla soy milk, 1 Tbs. almond butter, 1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, bananas and 3 ice cubes.
Mix until smooth then pour and enjoy!

Next, try shopping some garage sales but only buy items you will use later for Christmas presents! Think picture frames, baskets, trinkets, vases, unique jars, classic books, etc.

After bringing home your treasures, take an invigorating walk before eating lunch.

Make a simple lunch with left-overs in your refrigerator, or make a simple salad (save the money--no take-out or fast food!!)

Go to the library and rent some movies for later, and check out some craft books to browse through and get ideas for some homemade Christmas presents this year.

Take a long hot bath and pamper yourself with some home made beauty treatments.

Make some soup or pasta for dinner (keep saving the money here....no dinner out this Saturday!) and curl up to watch the movies you rented from the library.

Make your Christmas List and jot down ideas for each person on your list.

Start reading the library books for make-yourself- gift -ideas and make notes.

Make a plan to spend Sunday cleaning out closets, your garage and attic-- maybe you will find items to take to a consignment store, have your own garage sale next weekend, or even find some forgotten about items that you can use for those Christmas presents!

Get a good night sleep counting dollars you saved today instead of those sheep!!

Home Made Christmas Gift Idea

This is a cute, easy and inexpensive gift idea!

Make Chalkboards!

If you have an old mirror laying around, turn it into a chalkboard quickly and cheaply. Just buy some chalkboard paint at your local hardware store...should be about $6.00 a can...and one can will do alot....and paint the surface of the mirror with it. Voila! Instant chalkboard!

Other ideas/surfaces for making chalkboards:

wood

picture frames (cut a piece of masonite board that fits inside the frame. Paint the board with chalkboard paint and let dry before putting it into the frame.)

Old Cabinet doors

stiff poster board

Home Made Halloween Costumes

Halloween is around the corner...so time to start cooking up some Halloween costumes you can make from home and save money while treating your little ghosts and goblins to a fun night!

This idea came from Kaboose.com-- I just changed a couple of things, but basically the costume idea is the same.

Home Made Spider Costume

Needed:
long sleeve black top/shirt
4 long black socks
newspaper, grocery bags, paper bags, or anything else you can use to stuff the socks with
a black knit cap
black yarn

Stuff each sock with paper or bags or filling of some sort.

Attach each sock to the side seams of the shirt (two socks on each side)
(I would suggest sewing the socks to securely attach them to the shirt, but duct tape can probably work as well.)

Next,  you will want to attach the black yarn in-between each sock and the cuffs of the shirt. This can be done in a couple of different ways. You can use the duct tape to attach a yarn piece at the cuff of the sleeve, and then tape the end of the yarn on the first sock. Then repeat for the next sock. You could also make a small hole in the cuff and thread the yarn through the hole down to the first sock, through a hole in that sock and down to the last sock. Make a knot in the yarn after threading it through the last sock, and repeat on the other side.

On the knit cap, you could add squiggly eyes for an extra fun touch, or use cotton to create a spider web effect.

Add tights, beige pants or even black pants to complete the costume.


costume idea and picture from http://crafts.kaboose.com

Make Money From Home

It has been a while since I have posted on ways to make extra money from home, but today I do have a new resource to share with you, called Fiverr.com.

Just like the name of the site, Fiverr is where tasks are listed at a price of Five dollars. There is no negotiating and no job posted at a price higher than $5.00. So you can list a task you will do, say write a review for someone's website, and list the price for this task at $5.00. If someone decides to purchase this task from you, they must first pay the $5 to Fiverr.com, who will in turn contact you via email that your task has been purchased. You will have a specified time limit to complete the task (the time limit is set by you when you post the task) and when it is complete, you are paid $4.00. Fiverr.com keeps $1.00 from each transaction as their fee and basic way of making money.

Browsing through the site, it is interesting to see the types of gigs people come up with to make money. From reading horoscopes, to emailing recipes, SEO services, writing names in the sand and sending customers pictures, you name it...you will probably find it (except of course any illegal or adult-only services, which are not allowed.) It is worth taking a look just to see if it stirs your creative juices and you think of something to post and get paid $4 for.

When a task is complete and you are paid, you can transfer the money in your account after 14 days (which is referred to as a safety period) to your Paypal account.

I have been reading reviews and so far it seems that this is indeed a growing successful site that people are earning extra money with. That gig about writing names in the sand and emailing the picture to customers-- according to a Woman's Day's article, that person is making $300 month.

Go to http://www.fiverr.com and check it out for yourself!!

Saturday Morning Iced Mocha Recipe

Make your own Iced Mocha drink at home and save money plus calories!

All you need for two icy mocha drinks:

1 cup low-fat chocolate milk
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 cup ice cubes
Fat -Free whipped topping

In a blender, add the milk, coffee granules and ice cubes. Blend on high until smooth and frothy. Pour into two glasses, add the low fat whipped topping, and Enjoy!

8 Ways to Reuse Jar Lids

Jar lids can be reused in many different ways. I know there are many uses other than the ones I have come up with, so if you have any to share, please feel free!!

1. As paint palettes for kids. Perfect for holding some paint, and for letting kids mix paints together,

2. As a cookie cutter. Nothing makes a perfectly round cookie like a jar lid! Make sure the lid id washed and dried, ten just push down and twist over rolled dough.

3. As a spoon rest on your stove!

4. Paint lids (or let the kids) and then glue a magnet on the back of the lid. Trace and cut a picture to fit inside, then glue it in. (This can make a cute handmade Christmas gift from kids to their grandparents, teachers, etc..)

5. Drill holes in jar lids, and then attach under cabinets. Use the jars for spices, tea bags, pasta, cereal, dried beans.....and scew the jars to the lids for a decorative storage idea!

6. Paint the lids. Then glue a large X or O made out of a fabric to the top part of the lids, and you have an instant Tic Tac Toe Game (use poster board, cardboard or even a frame with the lightweight cardboard filler in it as the game board.)

7. Quick trays for under candles.

8. Instant ashtrays.

Cheap Ways To Lose Some Weight

Do you want to shed a few pounds before the holiday season arrives, but cannot afford the gym or those pricey diet plans? Here are a few very cheap ways to help speed up your metabolism and burn some of that extra weight off.

1. It's true--drinking lots of water during the day will burn calories....about 35,000 a year if you drink eight 8-oz. glasses a day.

2. Lifting light weights for one hour a week will build your muscles enough to raise your metabolism by up to 12%. (try using full soup cans, books, or other items around your home if you do not have weights.)

3. Watch some funny TV. Laughing can temporarily increase your calorie burn by up to 20%, according to a Vanderbilt University study.

4. Drink Green Tea.  Try sipping green tea about 30 minutes before eating. Women who do this trick before every meal lose twice as much weight as those who did not in a recent study. Green Tea has plant compounds that boost levels of norepinephrine....which helps you burn fat.

5. Eat some protein at every meal. Having about 2 oz. of a protein at every meal helps your body burn 71 more calories daily.

6. Get More Sleep. If you do not get enough sleep it can result in a 40% increase in cortisol, a stress hormone that is proven to slow metabolism and trigger a 33% increase in hunger pangs and cravings. Harvard researchers have found that getting even 7 hours of sleep can speed up your metabolism dramatically.

Stretching Your Budget : Free Sites That Can Help You Save Money

Financially Fit  has posted some great tips for saving money and stretching your budget -- they are not hard and can help save some money for Christmas presents!!

Grocery Shopping always takes a big chunk out of any budget. To help see exactly how much we are spending, and on what, there are free online budgeting sites that can track your purchases. Try using Mint.com or Buxfer.com--both free -- to start keeping track and finding ways to save.

And spend a little extra time finding coupons before heading to the grocery store. Check out coupon sites such as CouponMom.com, Coupons.com and CouponCabin.com.  

**An Extra Tip** ShoppingNanny.com will provide you with customized coupons just for you for $5.95 a month. And Shopping Nanny recently guaranteed that if you spend more than $90 a week at the grocery store, you'll save $40 a month -- or your next month's membership is free.

If you are not bringing your lunch to work yet, get motivated to brown bag it by visiting FeedthePig.com. This is a savings website that will show you just how much you can save by not eating out. That could be enough motivation to start doing some serious cooking and lunch-packing at home.

To make sure you are not spending too much on your cell phone bill, visit BillShrink.com or MyRatePlan.com. You may save more with a prepaid plan than you are with your current cell phone plan.

Six Money-Saving Uses For Salt

Got salt? Then you have an inexpensive solution for some common household problems. Here are six household uses for salt:

1. Salt can help dissolve greasy build-up in sink drains and help get rid of odors. Just mix about a 1/2 cup of salt with 4 cups of hot water,and then slowly pour the solution down your drain.

2. Salt can help your fresh cut flowers last longer. Just sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt into the water in the vase before putting in the flowers (remember to cut the stems first.) The salt gets rid of bacteria and provides nutrients flowers need to stay fresher longer.

3. For spotted and stained glasses, soak the stemware overnight in a solution of salt (about 2tsp.) and a quart of vinegar. In the morning rinse the glasses and enjoy the sparkle.

4. Salt can make peeling hard-boiled eggs easier. Before putting eggs in the pot to boil, pour in 1 tsp. of salt. The shells should come off easier and without breaking.

5. Sea Salt makes an inexpensive exfoliating scrub. Rub some sea salt on damp skin when you are in the shower. The salt will slough off dead skin cells, and after you rinse off, your skin will be baby-soft!

6. Got weeds growing between the cracks in sidewalks and driveways? Shake some salt at the base of the weeds, and you should see the weeds die pretty soon.

3 Money-Saving Tips Quick and Easy!

Just a few more little money-saving tidbits to share this week--

1. If you are out of "D" batteries, do not want to buy any, but need one .....try this trick: Put a "C" battery in the space, then add 3 to 5 quarters to mimic a "D" battery!


2. Help prevent costly drain clogs before they happen: Use cold water to rinse grease down the sink. Hot water only “melts” the grease until it reaches distant areas of your plumbing, where it solidifies, builds up, and eventually causes clogs. Cold water, however, solidifies the grease early on so it floats down the pipes harmlessly. (source: www.rd.com/Family- Handyman)

3. Impulse purchases get the best of you at the market or home improvent stores? According to Consumer Reports, if you use the self-checkout, impulse buys will drop by 17 to 32 percent.

10 Things Moms Want To Save Money On

As a mom, I find myself the person in charge of {trying} to save money. It is up to me to find ways to budget and scrimp wherever I can - without anyone else in the family noticing to much, of course!

So I started thinking of the 10 top things I really like to and need to save money on. The things that I find too expensive in general, yet have to buy anyway on a semi-regular basis. It was tougher than I thought to come up with this list, after all I want to save money on everything, but after much thought (and a few extra frown lines) I have complied my list of the top 10 things I like to save money on, or wish I could save money on:

1. Shoes for the kids. I find shoes to be an expensive purchase that I have to make too many times each year. Kids outgrow them ridiculously fast. And no matter how much I may spend on a pair of shoes, hoping that quality will match the pricier price tags, they never last long with my boys. So I put shoes down on my list. I would love to find some that are reasonably priced and stand up to the wear and tear of little boys.

2. Food. Of course food must be on my list. It is always a top priority to try and feed the family healthy meals while still managing to pay bills at the end of the month!

3. Jeans. Girl's Jeans. Teenage Girl's Jeans to be exact. My daughter and her need for new jeans is a never-ending thing. If you see me with a nervous twitch one day, you can safely assume my daughter has once again pleaded her case with me for new jeans. And once again, I am faced with the precarious choice of either taking her to the mall to buy the new jeans at a financial blow to our budget, or choosing to risk having my daughter "simply die." {Did I do this to my parents? I think not, but regardless, I survived in either case.)

4. Classes. Ballet classes, Cheer classes and of course, the requisite Gymnastics classes. Did I mention Karate classes.  Oh, and swim classes. I would love dearly to enroll all my children in each and every class they get the urge to take, I would enjoy watching them learn something new and exciting every other day. But seriously, the fees these classes charge are high. Higher than high even.  And with each new class comes new outfits and equipment. The expense spent on kid's sports, classes and activities is astounding.

5. Make-Up. Now who wouldn't love to save some money on stuff that makes us beautiful and younger-looking??

6. Starbucks. I love the feeling of dropping the kids off at school and driving my quiet car thru Starbucks to buy a morning coffee drink. Sadly, that just does not quite fit into our budget most days. But as a mom who has the car all to herself after a furiously hectic morning of yelling, shoe searching, crumpled homework papers and spilled oatmeal, I would love dearly to have Starbucks reward me with a lower priced Nonfat Mocha Latte.

7. School Supplies. After spending way more than should be necessary on back to school supplies for my kids last week, I really would like to save more money when it comes to back to school. Plus I know that these costs will be repeated frequently through the school year.

8. Veggies and Fruits. Yes, I put these on my list. I love when I can save money on these particular foods because they can be so expensive. When you go to the grocery store with a budgeted list in hand, some of the prices for fresh fruit and veggies can cause one to rethink their dinner menus, kwim? So I am particularly excited to save money when I can on some of these foods. (I am easy to please. Too easy I think sometimes.)

9. Toys. I am the kind of mom who actually doesn't get bothered by toys scattered around the house. I kind of like it actually just because I know one day I will miss my 'kid and toy filled house.' {Sniff.} And so it goes I am also the kind who likes to buy toys for the kids when I can. But I need to save money, so toys must be on sale for me to buy (unless it is a special occasion or a very special toy.)

10. Socks.  I think I buy socks more than anything else. Between the boys, the dogs and the hubby alone, socks are at a high risk of disappearing in our house. Not that they are the most expensive things I buy quite regularly, but hey, if I can buy a few large packages of them on sale, it can make my week! Alone it is not such a drain, but times those packages by 3 or 4 a couple of times a month.... the money spent can ding the old budget a bit!

So that is my list of ten things this mom likes and wants to save money on. There are many more, but these are probably my top ten for right now.

As a mom (or a dad,) what things do you want to save money on the most?